In order to assist in the long term placement of gastric catheters and feeding tubes, a patient's stomach must often be lifted against the abdominal wall. Generally, the stomach should be lifted against the abdominal wall for a duration long enough for a tract to form between the outside of the patient's body and the stomach. In one strategy, three gastric suture anchors may be inserted into the patient's stomach in a triangular pattern surrounding the intended central location for a forthcoming gastric catheter or feeding tube. After each gastric suture anchor is lifted toward the abdominal wall, an external suture clamp is utilized to clamp onto the surface of the suture adjacent the patient's skin. Tension in the suture between the clamp and the anchor maintain the patient's stomach lifted against the abdominal wall. Thereafter, a gastric catheter or feeding tube is inserted through the skin into the stomach, through the central portion surrounded by the triangular pattern of anchor clamp combinations. After the tract from the patient's skin to the stomach has formed, the clamps can be released.
International PCT publication number WO 2009/027860 teaches a suture retention hub that may be used as part of a suture clamp assembly as previously described. The retention hub includes a base with an aperture that extends therethrough. The hub also includes a handle pivotally mounted to a portion of the base. The handle also includes an aperture. When a suture is received through the base and handle apertures, and the handle is in a released configuration, the retention hub may be slid along a length of suture. When the handle is rotated toward the base, the suture may be frictionally crimped, and is prevented from further movement through the hub. The device appears to include a lock for preventing the handle from moving from the crimped position back to the released sliding configuration. The suture retention hub appears to include several drawbacks, including an apparent need for relatively tight geometrical tolerances in order to work as described, and may have difficulty in initially receiving a suture thread, even while in its open sliding configuration. The device also appears relatively complex and expensive to manufacture.
The present disclosure is directed toward one or more of the problems set forth above.